Background: Chronic neck pain is common in the adult general population. Although the etiology of chronic neck pain is under debate, it is clear that chronic neck pain is multifactorial, with both physical and psychosocial contributors. Objective: To determine whether adding pain neuroscience education (PNE) to therapeutic exercises improved their pain–disability index, pain catastrophizing, fear–avoidance beliefs, and pain self-efficacy in subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain. Methods: This study was a three-arm randomized control trial. Seventy-two patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain were allocated to three groups: therapeutic exercises alone (n = 24), combined (therapeutic exercises + PNE; (n = 24), and a control group (n = 24). Each program took place three times a week, lasting for six weeks. The disability index, pain catastrophizing, fear–avoidance beliefs, and pain self-efficacy measured by the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPAD), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Fear–Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), respectively. Participants were assessed before and after the six-week intervention, and there was no further follow-up. Results: For the outcomes NPAD, PSC, and FABQ, combined intervention demonstrated more significant improvements than therapeutic exercises alone (p ≤ 0.05), whereas no differences were observed between the two intervention groups for PSEQ (p = 0.99). In addition, significant differences were favoring experimental groups versus control for all outcomes (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Therapeutic exercises combined with pain neuroscience education reduced the pain–disability index, pain catastrophizing, and fear–avoidance beliefs more than therapeutic exercises alone in patients with chronic neck pain. For pain self-efficacy, there was no statistically significant difference between the two intervention groups; however, the combined group had a more significant effect than therapeutic exercises alone. Further studies with longer periods and follow-up are required.

Biofeedback training is a method commonly used in various fields of life, for example, in medicine, sports training or business. In recent studies, it has been shown that biofeedback, and neurofeedback, can affect the performance of professional athletes. Training based on the neurofeedback method includes exercising the brain waves. The aim of the article is to evaluate the influence of neurofeedback training on the physical fitness of professional athletes representing various sports disciplines, such as judo, volleyball and soccer. Based on 10 scientific papers from various sources, including PubMed, the latest research on neurofeedback and its impact on athletes has been reviewed. On the basis of the literature review from 2012 to 2022 on the neurofeedback method in sports training, it can be stated that this type of practice has a significant impact on physical fitness and sports performance. This review comprised 10 research studies with 491 participants in the neurofeedback groups, and 62 participants in the control group. Two reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated the quality of the studies utilising the PEDro scale. Properly planned and conducted neurofeedback training affects stimulation and improvement of many variables (reducing stress levels, increasing the ability to self-control physiological factors, enhancing behavioural efficiency and meliorating the speed of reaction to a stimulus).

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of scapular exercises alone and combined with cognitive functional therapy in treating patients with chronic neck pain and scapular downward rotation impairment. Single-blind randomized controlled trial. Outpatient. A total of 72 patients (20–45 years old) with chronic neck pain were studied. Allocation was undertaken into three groups: scapular exercise (n = 24), scapular exercise with cognitive functional therapy (n = 24) and control (n = 24) groups. Each programme lasted three times a week for six weeks. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity measured by the visual analogue scale scores. The secondary outcome measures included kinesiophobia and muscles activity. Statistically significant differences in pain intensity were found when multidisciplinary physiotherapy group including a cognitive functional approach was compared with the scapular exercise alone group at six weeks (effect size (95% CI) = −2.56 (−3.32 to −1.80); P = 0.019). Regarding kinesiophobia, a significant between-group difference was observed at six-week (effect size (95% CI) = −2.20 (−2.92 to −1.49); P = 0.005), with the superiority of effect in multidisciplinary physiotherapy group. A significant between-group differences was observed in muscle activity. Also, there were significant between-group differences favouring experimental groups versus control. A group-based multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme including scapular exercise plus cognitive functional therapy was superior to group-based scapular exercise alone for improving pain intensity, kinesiophobia and muscle activation in participants with chronic neck pain.

Chronic neck pain is a common human health problem. Changes in scapular posture and alteration of muscle activation patterns of scapulothoracic muscles are cited as potential risk factors for neck pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of neck exercise training (NET) with and without scapular stabilization training (SST) on pain intensity, the scapula downward rotation index (SDRI), forward head angle (FHA) and neck range of motion (ROM) in patients with chronic neck pain and scapular dyskinesia. A total of sixty-six subjects with chronic neck pain and scapular dyskinesia were randomly divided into three groups: neck exercise training, n = 24, combined training (NET + SST), n = 24 and a control group, n = 24. Pain intensity, SDRI, FHA and ROM were measured by the numerical rating scale, caliper, photogrammetry and IMU sensor, respectively. When the combined intervention group consisting of NET and SST was compared with NET alone at six weeks, there was a statistically significant difference in pain intensity, SDRI, FHA and cervical ROM for flexion and extension (p ≤ 0.05). Adding scapular exercises to neck exercises had a more significant effect in decreasing pain intensity, SDRI, FHA and increased cervical ROM than neck exercises alone in patients with chronic neck pain. These findings indicate that focus on the scapular posture in the rehabilitation of chronic neck pain effectively improves the symptoms.

Background: This study investigates the relationship between malocclusion and body posture, head posture, podal system, and gait parameters in children. Methods: A systematic review of observational studies from 2010 to 2023 was conducted and 24 cross-sectional studies involving 6199 participants were identified. These studies were categorized into those dealing with body posture (10 studies, 3601 participants), cervical vertebral column and head posture (6 studies, 644 participants), the podal system (5 studies, 1118 participants), and gait (3 studies, 836 participants). Results: Evidence suggests a significant association between malocclusion and body posture, balance, podal system, and gait parameters. Notably, eight studies found a significant relationship between malocclusion and body posture, while five studies identified this relationship with the cervical vertebral column and head posture, five with the podal system, and three with gait parameters. Conclusions: Overall, the quality of evidence was strong for the association between malocclusion and body posture and the podal system and moderate for head posture and gait parameters. These findings offer insights for therapists to design interventions tailored to children with malocclusion based on considerations of body posture, head posture, podal system, and gait parameters, though further longitudinal cohort studies are needed for better predictive understanding.